Absence and Wellbeing Project Lead 

Location: Norfolk 

Job Type: Temporary 

Duration of booking: Expected to last 3 months with possible extension

Proposed start date: ASAP

Pay Rates: Up to £34 per hour Umbrella or £29 per hour PAYE inclusive of holiday pay

Hours / Working Days: 37.5 hours per week / Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm 

Sector: Healthcare 

Based: Onsite  

Summary of Post 

• The Absence and Wellbeing Project Lead will collaboratively develop and lead a Trust-wide Project to reduce sickness absence, ensuring alignment with Trust People Plan whilst addressing local team level priorities. This includes providing expert guidance on complex workforce issues, including leadership development and wellbeing and absence best practice. 
• The postholder will be outcomes focused and able to manage a complex project with a range of dependencies, stakeholders and operational pressures, reporting key progress, risks and issues through to People and Culture Steering Group and other committees. 
• To work alongside divisional directors/heads of service and their senior management teams in identifying workforce issues impacting absence and wellbeing developing appropriate business focused HR interventions using data and evidence based practice to inform approaches. 
• To support the delivery of Trust People and Culture priorities and initiatives in the area of absence and wellbeing and to contribute to the development of the Trust’s overall People Plan, Workforce Policies, undertaking policy and practice development as required. 
• The post holder will proactively champion, drive and embed the workforce agenda and ensure it aligns with the Trust’s strategy, divisional objectives and business planning processes. 
• To provide advice and guidance on complex HR issues in order to minimise risk and financial exposure. 
• Support system wide transformation and wellbeing projects, representing staff and positively influencing direction of travel. 
• Through the project and working collaboratively with operational managers and finance colleagues to identity and track financial impact of project and broader benefits realisation on staff experience and service delivery. 

Key duties and responsibilities 

• To lead Trust wide project on reducing absence across the Trust, ensuring engagement and accountability from a range of stakeholders to ensure sustainability. 
• Undertake associate pieces of work to support the review and development of absence and wellbeing resources and approaches to support best practice in alignment with organisational development strategy, both within the service area and across the Trust as appropriate. 
• Input into the development of the Trust’s overarching People Plan and lead on implementation within areas of responsibility to ensure it delivers the key organisational, 
• business and clinical plans. 
• To work collaboratively with managers, staff and staff representatives to promote a culture of healthy employee relations, in alignment with Just and Learning Culture principles, role modelling this approach at all times. 
• To work with managers to promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the management and development of staff. 
• To develop strong networks internally and externally to ensure that best practice HR, Wellbeing practice is applied within the organisation and that opportunities for development and innovation are maximised. 
• To provide a highly visible, competent and coaching leadership style which is consistent with the Trust values, building and maintaining effective working relationships with managers, staff and external organisations. 
• At Divisional level and in collaboration with HR Business Partners lead on the development of plans to improve and sustain improvements in Workforce Key Performance Indicators for absence and wellbeing ensuring best practice approach in alignment with workforce policies and employment law.  
• To support divisions and services to identify workforce related cost efficiency schemes and work with senior managers and clinicians to support the development and action of such schemes. 
• To contribute to the development and updating of the Trust’s People and Culture policies, procedures and practice, helping to ensure that they comply with statutory employment law and case law and contribute to the development of effective staff management practices across the Trust. 
• To lead the planning and implementation of certain Trust wide projects, including complex organisational changes ensuring compliance with good employment practices and the Trust’s organisation change policy. Proactively engage with staff representatives and senior managers and clinicians to mitigate risks to plans. 

Skills 

• Degree level qualification or relevant experience 
• Chartered Member of CIPD (MCIPD) Level 7 
• Masters degree in employment law or equivalent level of training or experience _Significant generalist HR experience in a large, complex and unionised organisation.  
• Experience of policy consultation, development & implementation. 
• Experience of designing, supporting and implementing HR interventions at a strategic level.  
• Experience of planning and implementation of transformational workforce projects, including complex organisational changes ensuring compliance with good employment practices and the Trust’s organisation change policy. 
• Experience of developing plans to improve and sustain improvements in Workforce Key Performance Indicators in areas such as wellbeing, retention, vacancies and ensuring best practice approach in alignment with workforce policies and employment law.